The banana diaries

Guys, I know it's been a while.

Three weeks and two days to be exact.

Where have I been?! Well, the day after my last post, I started a new job! And it's one that I really enjoy :) That being said, it has also taken up a lot of my time. The adjustment period has been real. With early mornings and late nights, I'm still trying to work out a schedule that gives me time to run, write blog posts, test recipes, do well at my job, and most importantly: enjoy life.

​I know that it can be done. I know that many have full-time jobs while balancing blogging, the commitments that come with it, and family/friends/social life/insert life goal here. But I'm new to this, and so I need a little time to adjust. Right now, things feel a little out of whack; I'm loving my job and I'm still running (but still take that required rest day), but I so desperately miss painting (which I got to do a little this past weekend!) and writing. So I took a few steps forward in some respects, and fell off the wagon in others. That's okay though! It's a give-and-take process that requires a little canoodling to hit the sweet spot. I want to keep writing, painting, running, pursuing my career, and enjoying actually living, and so I will (RE: Gratefulness).

Speaking of being thankful, how was everyone's Thanksgiving? For me, it was a milestone in many ways. Not only was I able to celebrate with my immediate family (Mama, Dad, lil' sis, and lil' bro), but I was also able to celebrate with my family friends and my boyfriend's family. That's a lot of love in one holiday- but I'm not complaining ;)

On the real Turkey Day, my family, my boyfriend, and I went to my family friend's house for dinner, and then the day after, my boyfriend's family had another Thanksgiving dinner. TWO big dinners. TWO nights of drinking (wine, but still, I get groggy from alcohol easily). TWO nights of big desserts (which really isn't any different than my normal routine, but when it follows several glasses of vino rosso and pounds of turkey, it definitely feels bigger than normal haha!). TWO nights of laughter, relaxation, and gratefulness. I wouldn't have it any other way.

This was also the first time in years that I did not count calories. Not one single calorie, gram of fat, mg of sodium, nada. I ate till I was comfortable, and if I wanted seconds (you better believe I grabbed two slices of the pumpkin pie you're about to make), I got seconds because I deserved it. I didn't deserve it because I worked out like a maniac hours before and I didn't deserve it because I restricted all day. I deserved it because I deserve freedom from the obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that thwarted me from eating and enjoying meals before. Why not enjoy another helping of beautiful roasted acorn squash drizzled in coconut oil and pomegranate seeds? Why not pour myself a second glass of wine because I'm finally enjoying myself and living outside of my head?

So needless to say, I had a great Thanksgiving that extended over two days, and I wasn't upset about it in the slightest. But now that I've talked enough about this pumpkin pie I made (I know you've been drooling over the pictures...I see you over there!), I want to share the recipe with you so that you can make it for the rest of the holiday season!

This pumpkin pie was a huge hit! Made with a pumpkin seed crust, it's entirely gluten and sugar free! And if you're vegan, you could easily make this without eggs (see substitutions below). This pumpkin pie is:

CreamySweetAromaticHeavenlyNutmegy (yes, I'm making that a word)The perfect combo of crunchy and smooth

Try it out below! Following this post, I am aiming to be posting at least once every week with either a new recipe, restaurant review, or life update. Stay tuned, and let me know how you like it!

Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8Ingredients:​Crust:

2 cups pepitas, unsalted

2-3 tbsp melted organic coconut oil

1/2 tsp pink himalayan sea salt

Filling:

1 can organic pumpkin puree (NOT filling!)

2 eggs*

1/2 cup granulated stevia**

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk***

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust: start by grinding the pepitas in a food processor. Be sure not to grind them into a paste- just enough so that it's crunchy looking!

Add in coconut oil and sea salt to the food processor and blend until combined.

Press pepitas mixture into a 9" pie dish until you form the entire crust.

Place in the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while making the filling.

To make the filling: combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend with a hand mixer.

Once all combined, pour filling into the pie crust dish.

Place in the oven (still at 350 F), and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for an hour to set. Then place in the refrigerator, covered, to let solidify before serving.

Enjoy with homemade whip cream and/or ice-cream!

​*VEGAN OPTION: substitute 2 eggs for 6 tbsp flax seeds in 2 tbsp water**If you don't like the taste of Stevia, another option is to cut it in half, using 1/4 cup organic maple syrup and 1/4 stevia (or coconut sugar). You really don't taste a distinct stevia flavor, you just taste sweetness!***If nut free, coconut milk or soy milk are both great options!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

HELLO OUT THERE!

I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last posted! There have been many changes and new, exciting happenings in the works that I haven't had a chance to catch up here. I kept telling myself, Just write a post tomorrow morning, it'll be fine. Then, tomorrow morning would come, andddd I'd find myself too busy to just sit down and write. Well, now here we are! Also can we take a moment and acknowledge that it's already Halloween?! Where did October go...

Anyways! So last week was my last full week at my old job before I start my new job in two weeks!! Okay, now it's like a week and a half. But still, I'm super pumped for what's to come, and I'm definitely enjoying this much needed break. I've been keeping up my mileage this week, but also enjoying some extra zzz's because I have seriously been running on empty (yes, literally and figuratively). Below is what my mileage has looked like for the week so far:

To be honest, my body is feeling a little beat this week, so I'm absolutely taking a rest day Saturday (and maybe Sunday if I feel like I need it!). I also have spending some time whipping up some new recipes for the blog, which I'm so excited to share with you next week! But first, I wanted to send you off for the weekend on an Autumn-tastic good note: pumpkin muffins.

Fluffy.Sweet.Soft.Moist.Pumpkin Spicey!

What better way to bring in the last weekend of October than with pumpkin muffins?! And for all of you health nuts out there, pumpkin has some great benefits too. Research shows that the antioxidants found in pumpkin can improve your eyesight (thank you, beta-carotene) and protect your heart. It also is chock full of tryptophan, which we all know helps us sleep (it's also found in turkey, a.k.a. why you sleep so well after Thanksgiving haha!), but people often forget that this amino acid is extremely important in the production of serotonin, which then boosts your mood :) Pretty cool, huh?

Check out the recipe below, and let me know how you like it! Happy Halloween!